The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-04-21

and an old negro testified to having seen
him going up the canon. A conductor
on one of tho cars said that man
answering the description given by the
men at the brewery and the old negro
ha | ridden on his car. A grocer's man
who happened to be driving by had seen
this man and identified him as Loften.
When the officers came to his house
Loftcn was writing, and upon being told
that he was wanted went at once, think
ing there was some mistake which could
be easily explained, and it was not until
brought before the magistrate that he
learned that he was charged with mur-
der.
He told his story, as we have already
done above, and pleaded his innocence,
but tho evidence against him seemed
too strong, and he was sent to prison to
await trial.
No one else had seen the two tramps,
nor could any traces of them be found.
Loftcn lay awake all night in his cell.
He knew that he was innocent, but how
was he to prove ita He had always had
stainless reputation, and now he was
in prison accused of murderl He
thought of the grief and shame it would
cause to his friends. Then he broke
down and cried like child.
After that he remembered nothing.
When the jailcr came with his break
fast he found him staring at the blank
wall of his cell. He spoke to him, but
the prisoner did not move. Loften
was mad.
He was committed to an insane asylum,
but the judge made stipulation that if he
should ever recover his reason he should
be tried for murder.
For seven years Charles Loften was in
the asylum. He ate and slept and was
taken out to walk by nurse with some
of the other patients, but he never spoke
and he never appeared to notice any
one or anything.
AT the end of seven years his reason
suddenly returned. Everything was
clear up to the night of his imprison-
ment, but of the time he had spent in
the asylum he remembered nothing.
The court was notified that he had re-
covered his reason, and time was set
for his trial.
On the night before Charles Loften's
trial robbery was attempted in neigh
boring town.
Between ono and two in the morning
the owner of a handsome place on the
outskirts of the town was awakened and
thought he heard some one moving in
the house. He got up and went to his
door and found that some one was NOV
ing about in the library.
The house was lighted by electricity,
and by pressing button at the head of
the stairs the light could be turned on
all over the first floor. -
This he did, and in an instant every
room was lighted.
Two men who had been cropping about
in the darkness were at first blinded and
s'upefcd by the bright light coming so
suddenly, then they came to their senses
and ran, and as the proprietor hurried
down stairs he saw them running through
the house and escaping by side door.
As the men crossed the yard the night
watchman saw them and fred his pistol.
The foremost man fell, but the other
made good his escape.
On the first day of Loftcn's trial jury
had been selected, few witnesses had
been called and the court had ad djourncd,
On the second day of the trial,
just as the third witness was about to
take the stand, note was handed to
the judge.
1t stated that, on examining the
wounds of the burglar who had been
shot in the neighboring town two nights
before, it had been found that he could
not live, and on learning this the man
bad made confession.
He said that seven or eight years be-
fore he and one of his companions had
murdered man in Dead Mans Canon
and robbed him of some valuable napers
which he had in his possession. He
knew that an innocent man had been
arrested, but thought he would be ac-
quilted. He had afterwards learned that
the man, whose name was Charles Loften.
had become insane and had been placed
in an asylum.
The man who listened to the story.
knowing that Loften was now on trial for
this crime, had sent for justice and had
the man make an affidavit, which he had I
sent at once to the court.
When the judge had read the note the
affdavitwas sworn to, and Charles Lof.
ten, after seven years Imprisonment for a
crime he had never committed, was once
more at liberty. New York CIR raphic.
What the Animals Eat,
Circus erners aro offnp o,yoetr,,aI, - !,